ADVANCING MISSING MIDDLE SKILLS for Human–AI Collaboration Contents

ADVANCING MISSING MIDDLE SKILLS For Human–AI Collaboration Contents 4 HUMAN SKILLS SURGING 8 IN DEPTH: FUSION SKILLS AND INTELLIGENCES 10 GETTING THE RIGHT SKILLS 12 MUTUAL READINESS 15 ACCELERATED ABILITY 18 SHARED VALUE 21 IN DEPTH: TRAIN OR HIRE? 23 THE WAY FORWARD 24 ABOUT THE RESEARCH ADVANCING MISSING MIDDLE SKILLS FOR HUMAN – AI COLLABORATION 2 What will the future of work look like? Will machines be on one side of the room, performing certain jobs, while on the other side, humans carry out different roles? Our research reveals that such a stark division of labor is unlikely. Instead, the in-between space— what Accenture calls “the missing middle”—is where intelligent technology and human ingenuity will come together to create new forms of value. Robots, by and large, will not be taking our jobs. Instead, human-machine collaboration will reconfigure most of the work we do, making uniquely human skills more important than ever. This paper explores the nature of these skills—higher-level intelligence skills—that we all possess but could use more. Developments in the science of learning show how these exclusively human capabilities can be developed and applied so we can achieve the full potential of the missing middle. To grow these skills, employees must develop a lifelong learning mindset, while employers must establish conditions to nourish the desire and capability of people, and invest in skills development. HUMAN SKILLS SURGING As companies rapidly adopt intelligent This human-machine collaboration will technologies, the complex impact of augment human capabilities, unleashing these changes on work is coming into productivity advances along with more focus. While it is true that some jobs will creativity, innovation and growth. We are exclusively be done by humans while leaving the “Information Era”, when other roles will be taken on by machines machines delivered data that improved via intelligent automation, most of the processes and products, and entering the emerging roles will be fulfilled by both “Experience Era”, during which uniquely working together in the dynamic space human skills will deliver more personalized Accenture calls “the missing middle.” and adaptive customer experiences (see Figure 1: The Human Skills Surge). The Information Era required legions of smart engineers to build software, networks and algorithms. But the Experience Era will need people with social and leadership abilities who can improvise and show good judgment, such as those who can train Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems and make sense of the data generated by AI. Training chatbots to be empathetic to customers is the kind of complex, creative activity that will characterize more roles in the future.1 Figure 1: THE HUMAN SKILLS SURGE 2010s 1970s 1760s EXPERIENCE ERA Machine intelligence amplifies INFORMATION ERA humans Machine data informs INDUSTRIAL ERA humans Collaborative Intelligence • Unconstrained creativity of Machine automation aids Human+Machine Knowledge Management PRE-INDUSTRIAL humans • Managing hyper-relevant experiences • Creativity of service design and • Socio-emotional intelligence and HEAT Machine-like delivery Operations Management (humanities, engineering, arts, humans • Managing data, information technology) or multidisciplinary skills • Creativity of product and process • Analytical reasoning and STEM design (science, technology, engineering, Resource Ingenuity • Managing operations, personnel, math) or technical skills • Creative use of natural resources finances • Managing materials and manual labor • Communication, coordination and Source: Accenture Research • Physical strength, stamina, body organization skills equilibrium abilities The relative importance of physical, operational and simple analytical skills has waned, even in job profiles focused on physical Our analysis of the U.S. Department of Labor’s O*NET database of strengths and machine operation (see Figure 2: Evidence of occupational data provides evidence of this surge in skills.2 Human Skills Surge in U.S. Jobs). We analyzed the evolution of more than 100 abilities, skills, tasks, and working styles in the U.S. over the last decade and found that For instance, industrial engineers now find themselves interacting creativity, complex reasoning and socio-emotional intelligence more with leadership and shop-floor personnel to develop have sharply increased in importance for many jobs. production and design standards, rather than maintain equipment. Similarly, because of automation, sales personnel write client Specifically, more than half of U.S. jobs need higher-level reports and maintain paperwork less frequently than in the past. creativity, over 45 percent require more complex reasoning, and Consequently, socio-emotional intelligence for connecting with 35 percent need more socio-emotional skills than in the past. clients is now more germane to the job. ADVANCING MISSING MIDDLE SKILLS FOR HUMAN–AI COLLABORATION 5 Figure 2: EVIDENCE OF HUMAN SKILLS SURGE IN U.S. JOBS Change in the importance of skill type in U.S. from 2004 to 2016 (100% = 151M jobs in U.S. as of 2016) Less important Equally important More important Source: Accenture Research analysis of O*NET database 6% 14% 21% 44% 53% 53% 47% 58% 64% 67% 44% 86% 100% 100% 86% 14% 9% 56% 3% 47% 41% 36% 33% 33% 33% 33% 6% 14% The surge of socio-emotional and multidisciplinary skills is reflected not only in what workers do, but also in the way companies assemble teams. Consider the example set by Autodesk. The leading 3D design software creator is making its “The companies that do not associate AI AI-enabled Autodesk Virtual Assistant (AVA) more emotionally with EI (emotional intelligence) are going to intelligent. The team includes application engineers and data scientists as well as user-experience designers, creative writers miss the mark.”—Rachael Rekart, Director and conversational engineers who design personas, shape of Machine Assistance, Autodesk linguistic patterns, and improve the user experience. Today, AVA handles about 15 percent of English customer support conversations. Call-resolution times have decreased, and human customer service representatives can now focus on more complex issues. ADVANCING MISSING MIDDLE SKILLS FOR HUMAN–AI COLLABORATION 6 For many workers, traditional forms of work have comprised routine and repetitive tasks. The new AI-based workplace, however, will require employees to tap higher-level human-only intelligences (see Fusion Skills and Intelligences). While the skills in the “missing middle” enable working with machines, they don’t necessarily require additional expertise in machine learning or robot programming. They require thoughtful people who are better able to apply socio-emotional, creative and complex reasoning skills to the specific needs of the business. New forms of training are therefore urgently required to help people develop and apply these higher-level intelligences. Academic studies are proving that training focused on mindset and socio-emotional intelligence is more effective than technical education. In one recent study, MIT Sloan evaluated a 12-month in-factory training program on communication, problem solving, decision-making and stress management. It found the training returned roughly 250 percent on investment within eight months of its conclusion, mainly from boosts in worker productivity and speed with complex tasks.3 When creative humans and machines work together as allies instead of adversaries, they enhance each other’s strengths. With support from machines, humans are free to apply advanced socio-emotional intelligence to develop a better understanding of customer needs and create entirely new customer experiences. Human conscience and self- discipline will also help companies use AI in an ethical and human-centric way. IN DEPTH FUSION SKILLS AND INTELLIGENCES “Human+Machine”, written by Accenture’s Paul Daugherty and James H. Wilson,4 describes eight fusion skills—abilities for combining the relative strengths of a human and machine to create a better outcome than either could achieve alone. These fusion skills guide managers and workers in designing and developing a workforce capable of thriving in the “missing middle.” Three of these skills allow people to help machines (the left side of the missing middle); the other three enable people to be augmented by machines (the right side of the missing middle). The last two help people skillfully work across both sides of the missing middle (see About the Research). We identify the underlying core intelligences of each fusion skill. Intelligences (or competencies) relate to a person’s unique aptitude, set of capabilities and ways they might prefer to demonstrate intellectual abilities. We assess these intelligences in the context of academic literature on the many approaches toward human potential. Among them is the theory of multiple intelligences developed by Howard Gardner, the triarchic theory by Robert Sternberg and the growth mindset theory by Carol Dweck. Recent studies highlight the significance of intrapersonal intelligences, including intuition and a growth mindset as the most influential on worker performance. Andy Clark, David Chalmers and others are on the forefront of an exciting new field of study known as embodied or extended cognition—the theory that what we think of as brain processes can take place outside of the brain. They propose that people naturally use technologies to augment themselves, incorporating tools and technologies as part of their own

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